After All We've Been Through
by LusayLu182
Summary: Wishes don't come true...or do they? Shadow is set on believing wishes are for stupid little kids, or cheesy people like Sonic. But when a mysterious blonde hedgehog with no memory shows up, Shadow seriously starts thinking otherwise. SHADARIA!
1. Shadow's Surprise

**Lusay: Hey guys! This is a brand new story** **I just came up with! Enjoy it!**

_After All We've Been Through  
Chapter 1: Shadow's Surprise _

Rouge the bat placed her hands on her hips and looked around the park with satisfaction. She and the others have been out in the sun for hours now, making sure everything was perfect. It had to be. Today was Shadow's birthday, and he didn't even know anyone knew about it. Rouge had tried to get him to tell her, but he had never been one of those "party and sunshine guys," as he called it disgustedly. Rouge, being the super spy she was, found it out anyway. August 15.  
She smiled at her cunning discovery and fixed the decoration on the table. Decorating had been the hardest part. Shadow hated balloons, confetti, and basically everything that made a party a party.  
"We need to find things that he does like," Rouge had told the group before.  
"He likes being alone," Sonic the hedgehog had suggested. Fortunately that advice was neither wanted or needed.  
They had finally decided to go with Shadow's symbol(really the Black Arms' symbol, but Shadow kinda adopted it) designed on a long flowing black table cloth. Rouge had given up some of her favorite rubies so that they could be cut and sewn into the symbol.  
Amy Rose had been in charge of the food, and it was amazing! She had chili dogs made especially for a certain blue hedgehog, but most of the food was cute little finger foods such as cut up fruits, vegetables, and chips. The cake was gorgeous though. Miles "Tails" Prower had flown Amy up to the Space Colony ARK, Shadow's birthplace, where she had made a quick sketch if it. Now there was a beautifully accurate replica of it made out of frosting!  
Rouge took one more look before nodding. "I think we're ready."

Sonic had been given the job of stalling Shadow. It had been fairly easy for the fastest thing alive. All he really had to do was get into a fight with his arch rival.  
_Not hard at all,_ Sonic thought with a chuckle. He easily found his dark look alike, who was brooding up at Hilltop Zone.  
"Hey Shadow!" He called out.  
Shadow the hedgehog glared at him and crossed his arms tighter against his white fluffy chest. "What do you want?" He demanded, his red eyes narrowing.  
Sonic grined. Although Shadow could be frightening to most people, he always seemed to have that pouting kindergartener's expression; the piercing eyes, the deep frown, the crossed arms.  
"Did I ever tell you that you look really funny when you're mad?" He asked with a chuckle.  
Shadow glared on, his right eye twitched a tiny bit.  
"I'm serious!" The Blue Blur protested, as if the look signaled doubt. "Have you ever made that face in the mirror? I bet even you would laugh about it!"  
Shadow took a deep breath and let it out. "I'm running out of patience, Sonic," he said slowly and carefully. "Now tell me what you want from me."  
Sonic smiled good naturely. "Well, speaking of running...I do have a Chaos Emerald on me. How about a quick dual? Winner gets to claim the Emerald."  
Shadow attempted to pass, but quickly gave in to the chance to challenge himself. "Fine," he grumbled. "You're on."  
"Catch me if you can!" Sonic taunted, racing off at the speed of sound.  
The Ultimate Lifeform smirked and followed close behind, kicking his hover shoes on as he slid into a blistering fast, but graceful skate. His legs gave him the additional push his shoes could not. His eyes were set grimly on Sonic, to whom Shadow had caught up to by now, for a race meant everything to him in some mysterious way. He couldn't understand why he felt the urge to compete against The Blue One for everything.  
There was the fact that they were compleat opposite, Sonic was happy and optimistic, while Shadow was dark, mysterious, and pessimistic. There was also the difference of morals. Sonic was kind, and never really tried to hurt anyone, while Shadow was the most violent and merciless to be heard of. If anyone heard the black hedgehog make a threat, he had every intention in the world to carry it out.  
He knew that Sonic was faster than him, Shadow was close to his speed, but not quite enough. But he was stronger than his rival, balancing the two out. And now was time for him to make his move.  
As Shadow's right hand moved to his left in a balancing sweep, he kept it there, his red eyes narrowing. He shouted, "Chaos, Spear!" And shot literal spears of Chaos Energy at Sonic.  
The Blue Blur had been expecting an attack soon, and dodged it skillfully, however, it slowed him down enough for Shadow to narrow in and delivered a back kick at his rival.  
Sonic tucked and rolled into a neat spin attack, rolling toward Shadow.  
As the two fought, Sonic began to worry about the party. It was pretty obvious that Shadow wasn't a fan of get togethers. He normally kept to himself, the usually soft spoken loner who never liked being around anyone. How would he react to a party in his honor?  
Sonic had his doubts, but he was still really fond of the idea. Shadow didn't even have an idea. And truth was, Sonic believed full heartedly that his rival deserved it. He had struggled a lot in the past; trying to put past tragedies behind and remember who he was. There had been times when Sonic almost gave up on him. He wouldn't change and he might as well be stopped, just like every other enemy. But Shadow was different.  
No matter how hopeless it seemed, no matter how tight evil had its grasp on him, he always came to in the end, and helped Sonic save the world from destruction. To some, he was still the enemy, or some artificial mindless creation that could easily go back into 'killing mode.' But Sonic knew otherwise.  
Shadow was one of the smartest people he had met, cunning and careful as well. But there was something else. Sonic could never really get his finger on it, but there was something there...a heart, maybe.  
Just then, in the middle of the fight, Sonic's phone went off. Shadow froze, his hand in mid air. Sonic also paused and checked the text, positive it was from Rouge. It was.  
Sonic put his phone back and grinned. Now all he had to do was get the victim to the party site. He dodged Shadow's next attack and sprinted off toward the park, his doppleganger close behind.  
The wind blew his quills, sending jolts of joy down his spine. His arms hung loosely behind him, for with his speed, trying to pump them would only cost him his own delay. His feet were a wild, indistinguishable mass of blue blur, his shoes just barely touched the ground. He ran until he got to the party, where he skided to a halt in between Tails and Amy.  
"Is he coming?" Rouge asked.  
Sonic smiled and nodded toward where he had come.  
"Sonic!" Shadow's irritated voice called out as the ebony black crimson red hedgehog skated up the hill. "What are you do-"  
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHADOW!" The group shouted in unison. They carefully searched his face, hoping against the smallest sight of anger.  
Much to their surprise, Shadow looked as if he had been smacked in the face. His eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped, as he took a step back, shaking his head and muttering inaudibly to himself.  
Rouge took charge of the situation and walked over to her team mate, who's eyes were growing red and moist.  
"Are you ok?" She asked. "We didn't mean to upset you, Shadow."  
He shook his head again. "How did you find out?" He questioned, running a stressed hand through his red highlighted quills.  
"GUN records on Project: Shadow," she answered. "Please, Shadow don't be mad."  
Shadow blinked, trying to focus. But to him, the grass, trees, the blue sky, the surprise party, and everyone's faces were being replaced by the shiny silver gray walls of the Space Colony ARK. It was another flashback. He closed his eyes, consenting to let it come...

It had been a year since Project: Shadow had been completed. Gerald Robotnik had allowed a party in honor of the project to be held that day, for everyone was glad that that phase of the plan was completed. Shadow had joined them, of course, though he wasn't quite sure what this was all about.  
Someone tapped him on the back, and he turned to see the Professor's granddaughter, Maria, smiling at him, her long golden blond hair resting neatly on the young girl's shoulders.  
"Happy birthday, Shadow!" She said sweetly, she ocean blue eyes lighting up happily.  
Shadow cocked his head in curiosity. "The Professor was saying something about an anniversary," he said.  
Maria giggled, her voice carried even though the room was filled with clamoring adults. "Well, if you want to be super technical. But you see, on the anniversary of when a human or animal is born, it's called a birthday. You were not exactly born, but you were still created just a year ago. So this is your first birthday!" She explained.  
"Oh, I get it," Shadow's face flushed a light shade of pink. To him, it was embarrassing when she had to explain things to him.  
Maria smiled again and handed him something. "Here," she said. "I made this for you." The gift was a small photo album, filled with pictures of the two of them over the past year.  
Shadow's heart felt as if it would burst. No one had ever done something like that for him. "I love it," he said truthfully, licking his lips carefully.  
Maria gave him a hug, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I'm glad Shadow," she murmured. "You're my best friend, and when your happy, I'm happy."

In the present, Shadow forced himself to react positively to what they had done for him, not wanting to make them feel as if they're efforts had been wasted.  
There had been a reason why he didn't tell any of them his birthdate, and he felt a little violated of his privacy. Oh, but who was he kidding? His whole life was private! It was really kind of them to go through all that trouble for him.  
With that said, he made an effort to talk with Sonic and Silver the hedgehog, to indulge himself with a few bites of fruit, and let Cream the rabbit place a flowered crown on his head. He wasn't enjoying himself, but at least he didn't hate it.  
Rouge, of course, tried to give herself full credit, attempting vainly to seduce him with her fluttering eyelashes, her too much mascara, the extremely skin tight outfit. She seemed to forget that he obviously wasn't that kind of hedgehog.  
As the party wore on, Shadow began to see Maria's face everytime he blinked. Even after all this time, he could still recall perfectly every detail of the girl. She wasn't very tall, a little over five feet, her skin was a pale, moon color, due to her illness and lack of good foods and vegetables that the ARK couldn't afford to ship. Her hair was the color of the sun, flowing down her shoulders freely. Her smile and laugh had been the light of everyone's day, and those eyes. They were the most amazing thing about her, always filled with so much love and compassion...  
Of course, whenever Shadows tried to reflect on the good of the past, the dark clouds of tragedy soon follows to block out the sun.  
The image in his mind blurred, as he suddenly remembered being ejected from the ARK in a tiny escape pod, being forced to leave a dying Maria behind. He had crash landed on a small, tropical island, but instead of enjoying the beauty of his first Earth experience, he panicked, and teleported himself back to the ARK.  
Once there, he had run wildly to the last place he had seen her... He knew it was too late. If the bullet itself didn't kill her, the sickness she had suffered with daily had. But Shadow refused to believe this. There had to be a chance that she could've survived.  
He dodged around the dead corpses until he reached the room. Frantic and nearly out of breath, he peaked in, feeling his stomach knot up in anguish. It was too late.  
Shadow's eyes refused to obey him as he tried to take them off Maria's dead body. Her small limp figure covered in blood was too gruesome for even him to look upon. Yet he couldn't go. He couldn't leave her.  
Shivering with remorse, a small tear trickled down his tan muzzle, dropping to the blood stained floor. After that, he didn't bother to hide his grief. He cried openly, a sobbing inconsolable mess. He had never felt like this before, it felt like his heart had been ripped right out of his chest. This was his first time crying, he had never felt so alone. He desperately needed someone, but everyone here was dead.  
He tried to take a step forward, but his legs buckled with the shift of his weight, causing him to fall to the ground, tears still flowing as freely as a stream of water. Oh, how he longed for Maria to hold him right now.  
Shadow, losing all sence of reasoning, crawled to her body, staring at her with blurry, watering eyes. Her skin was even more pale then it had been, all signs of life gone. There was no rose in her cheeks, no life in her now dim, half open eyes. Even her hair looked dead.  
Shadow brought his eyes to the wound in her chest. Blood still oozed from it. He himself was now struggling to breathe. Choking on his own tears, he wrapped his arms around Maria's dead body, crying as if there was nothing worth living for. He wanted to die himself.  
"Maria...why?" He sobbed in anguish. He didn't care that her blood was getting on his fur, or that his tears were getting on her. He didn't care about anything.  
In a daze, he had picked up her body and teleported back to the island. He wasn't sure what he was doing. He wanted help for her, yet he knew it was too late. He wanted someone to take her away, but he knew he couldn't let her go.  
He trembled, watching her limp body. He didn't notice the GUN soldiers that had surrounded him. He numbly watched them as they advanced toward him with raised guns. He didn't care anymore. Killing him would be better than letting him live in his sorrow. But they didn't shoot. Instead they did something much, much worse.  
"No!" Shadow had shouted as the took the body from his shaking hands. He tried to stop them, but he felt a sharp pain in his arm.  
Whirling around, he noticed the GUN soldier with some type of needle in his hand. He suddenly felt dizzy, tired, and lightheaded.  
"Wha?" He gasped, feeling his last bit of strength leave his body. He fell, and through a dim, blurry vision could see them carrying Maria away.  
"Please...no" he whispered, closing his eyes weakly. "Don't take her from me."  
Now in the present, Shadow swallowed hard, trying to keep in his emotions. His head was throbbing almost as much as his heart was. He could hear the voiced of the others, but he couldn't differenciate any of them, or even tell what they were saying. The only thing he could repeat inside is mind was, _I'm putting the past behind me. I'm putting the past behind me._  
Shadow was soon able to open his eyes and realised that much to his own relief, no one noticed he had slipped into a flashback.  
"Who's ready for cake?" Amy asked excitedly. Everyone besides Shadow cheered, so the pink hedgehog got it out, and with the help of Rouge, out the candles.  
The group sang 'Happy Birthday' then Sonic demanded that Shadow made a wish.  
"What for?" He grumbled. In his mind, there was no point in wishing. Everything turned out terrible for him anyway.

"Because it's birthday tradition," he informed. "Now make a wish already!"

With a humph, Shadow closed his eyes briefly. He wasn't really gonna make a wish. Sonic and his traditions could go bother someone else. But then Maria's face came back, knotting up his stomach.  
A wish was stupid. There was no way they could ever work. But then...why not try it? Shadow obviously had nothing else he could lose. _All I want is to have Maria back, _he thought._ That is my wish. _  
In a breath that was more a sigh than a blow, the candles blew out and the group smiled, knowing that they were soon going to try that delicious looking dessert.  
Meanwhile though, Knuckles the echidna was standing with the group. He was sure he felt something concerning his precious Master Emerald. Was someone stealing it? Was it in danger?  
Knuckles looked over to where his home, Angel Island floated. It was still in the sky, meaning that the Emerald was still there to sustain it. _I'm probably hearing things, _he thought to himself._ Everything is perfectly fine._

**Lusay: And there you have it! Chapter one! I'm really sorry about that second flashback, I was practically crying while trying to write it. You guys probably aren't as sensitive as I am though, huh? Anywho! Let me know what you think! I shall return! Peace out peoples!**


	2. Knuckles and the Mystery Girl

_Chapter 2: Knuckles and the Mystery Girl_

After the party, Knuckles was on Angel Island, making his way to the Master Emerald. He pondered over the events of the day. Shadow's initial reaction to their surprise had been a surprise on the echidna. He had half expected the Ultimate Lifeform to go into a rage, demanding justice. And the cake. He was sure he felt something during the point when the candles blew out.  
But, here he was, the island was still floating, the sky was still blue, the birds still sang, and his glorious mushroom garden flourished still.  
Knuckles took a deep breath and smiled. After being so socially involved all day, it felt great to be back on his secluded island.  
Suddenly he stopped. He was positive he had seen something move over near the Master Emerald, which was now in view.  
Clenching his fists, he shouted, "who's there? Show yourself!" This time, he heard a small, feminine gasp.  
The echidna's mind automatically went to Rouge, for she was the only female he knew who continuously tried to steal HIS Emerald. But then again, today she had been focused on Shadow, hardly even taking the time to do her usual flirting when Knuckles, who both loved and hated it at the same time. She was probably busy gallivanting with Shadow, and he was positive that the bat wouldn't gasp like that. Her jewel hunting instincts and experience with GUN had toughened her up.  
"Who are you?" Knuckles demanded once more. "Show yourself, or I'll attack!"  
There was a sound of shuffling, before a timid face appeared. She seamed to be a yellow/honey colored hedgehog, long quilled and blue eyed.  
"Please Mister," she almost whispered. "I don't mean any harm."  
"Then prove it," the echidna said gruffly. "Come out here where I can see you clearly."  
The hedgehog tiptoed out of the brush to meet him. Wringing her hands slightly, she stared at the ground, allowing Knuckles to examine her more fully.  
She had no markings on her fur and wore a simple blue dress with matching shoes. She looked about his age, although determining Mobian ages was harder than it looked. She was a pretty thing too, making Knuckles wonder how she got there. She seemed innocent, and the light flush on her face made her appearance seem of that of a small child.  
"What are you doing here?" Knuckles asked, finally lowering his fists. She wasn't in the clear in his eyes though. Anyone caught by his precious jewel was an instant suspect, no matter how cute and innocent they appear to be.  
The girl didn't look up. "I don't know," she said quietly.  
"How do you not know?" He demanded. "How did you even get here?"  
"I'm not sure," she still stared at the ground. "I just woke up here, and then you showed up."  
"Who are you?" Knuckles asked finally, hoping to at least get one question answered.  
The girl finally looked up, her eyes brimmed with tears. "I'm sorry!" She sobbed. "I don't know!"  
Puzzled, the echidna shook his head. How could she not know who she was? "You're saying that you can't remember anything?" He questioned.  
She shook her head and chewed on her lip.  
Knuckles groaned inwardly. Having been raised alone on this majestic island, he didn't know very much about people problems. He had only known one person who lost his memory, and that was Shadow. But at least he remembered his name! Perhaps Sonic could help. The guy and his cheerful personally would at least do this poor girl some good.  
Looking into the sky, he realized it was too late to go anywhere. It would be dark soon, and if Knuckles didn't like society, society at night was far worse.  
"Look, Blondie," he said sighing. "My name is Knuckles. This is Angel Island and it's my home. The big emerald you see behind you belongs to me as well. I'm not sure who you are, or where you came from, but I know someone who might be able to help you. But it's too late to see him now. You can stay the night at my house, and we'll figure the rest out in the morning, alright?"  
She smiled. "Thank you so much Mr. Knuckles!"  
The echidna chuckled. "Let's just stick with Knuckles."  
The girl nodded eagerly. "Right. Knuckles."  
Knuckles grinned and awkwardly paused. "Yeah. So. Ready to go to the house?"  
"Sure."  
He led her there, silently, trying to figure out what to say. He had never been much of a talker, and this was coming off weird.  
They finally arrived to his small dwelling place, littered with junk.  
Embarrassed, Knuckles said, "excuse the mess, please. You see, I'm not used to guests."  
"Do you travel a lot, Knuckles?" The girl asked.  
"Not really," he shook his head. "I know my home isn't much. But it does have a living room, a kitchen, a bathroom, and one bedroom, and it's enough for me. Uh, what's mine is your's I guess."  
She smiled and sat down on his small overstuffed couch. "Thank you, Knuckles," she said politely.  
Scratching the back of his head, he tried to think of something to say. _Come on_, _you idiot!_ He thought angrily. _Say something! Anything_!  
"Are you hungry?" He blurted.  
"Well," his guest said thoughtfully. "I guess I could go for a little something."  
"Ok," Knuckles smiled. "I'll see what I have." He stampeded to the kitchen and opened the old junky refrigerator. All he could see in there was fruit, and tons of it. He was a natural fruit eater, and so that was for the most part all he ate. _Would she even be interested?_  
"Do you like fruit?" He asked, poking his head back into the living room. "It seems to be all I have at the moment. I have tons of grapes if you like them."  
The girl nodded. "Sure. Grapes sound great!" Her enthusiasm reminded him of Sonic. I have to get him to help me out.  
Returning to the kitchen, he grabbed the bag of his favorite food on Earth, dumped a few clusters into two bowls, and washed them. He then brought them back to his guest, handing her one bowl. The other he kept for himself and sat on the floor.  
"Are you sure you want to sit on the floor?" The girl asked curiously.  
"Sure, why not?" The echidna shrugged, popping a handful of juicy red grapes into his mouth.  
After a while, he warmed up to 'Blondie.' She was kind and funny, and all in all a great person to talk to. Knuckles told her all about his lost echidna tribe, the Master Emerald, his duty, and some of the adventures he had had with Sonic and the gang.  
He seemed to lose all sense of time as he talked more than he had in his entire life. "Oh! You should hear about the time when Chaos was released from the Master Emerald!" He exclaimed. "Do you wanna hear it?"  
Upon hearing no answer, Knuckles turned to the girl, who had fallen asleep on the couch. "Guess I bored her with my babbling," he said quietly.  
He somehow found a spare blanket and laid it on her softly. "Get some sleep, because tomorrow, you're gonna meet the most hard to handle, hyperactive hedgehog on the planet."  
Seeing she didn't even stir at his words, he decided to check on the Master Emerald really quick. He needed a walk anyways.  
Stepping outside, he took a deep breath, filling his lungs with fresh clean air. The moon was shining brilliantly in the sky, and thousands of stars twinkled. Fireflies flitted all around him, the beautiful nighttime flowers showed all their glory. He could hear peaceful trees frogs croaking and the tiny crickets chirping, with the occasional woot of an owl. It was once again a beautiful tranquil night on his Angel Island.  
He made the short walk to the Master Emerald alter, sighing with relief that it was alright. He stood there silently for a few moments, before hiking back to the house. He arrived there in two minutes, and checked on the girl before retiring for the night.  
She was tossing gently in her sleep, as if she was dreaming. She suddenly whispered one single word- or name rather. "Shadow."  
Knuckles choked, his purple eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets, as he was sure his chin hit the ground at the same time. He took a step back in confusion, tripping over something on the floor. He felt over, knocking several other objects down in the process. Yet, the girl slept on.  
"Shadow?" He whispered in utter shock. "How does he fit in all this?" He had to talk with Sonic and fast.

**Lusay: There you have it! The next chapter! I'm glad that from the reviews for far, you guys are liking it! I hope you all had a very merry Christmas! **


	3. Bad Dreams and Lost Hopes

_Chapter 3: Bad Dreams and Lost Hopes_

Shadow laid on his bed, his eyes wide open even though it was nearing midnight. He couldn't fall asleep no matter how hard he tried.  
He flipped over onto his back, one hand resting on his stomach. His brain seemed to be moving at Sonic pace, and he couldn't stop it. He couldn't help but have a small struggling feeling of hope, if it were possible. The ebony hedgehog knew it was stupid and childish to think that wishes could come true, just as it had been childish to think he could've saved Maria all those years ago.  
With a sigh, he sat up, rubbed his eyes and turned on his light, blinking only once for his excellent red eyes to adjust.  
He slipped off the bed and walked over to the bookcase against the wall. When he was younger, reading was his life. All those books had been favorites of his and Maria's. But now he found himself brooding more than reading anything.  
On the top shelf, all the way to the right was a dusty black and light blue book. Shadow removed it from its hiding place and stared at it almost tenderly, brushing the dust off in a seemingly ceremonious gentleness. For this was no ordinary book.  
Opening the first page, he found an old photograph of himself and Maria. Both of them were smiling as if nothing wrong could ever happen.  
Shadow sighed. He remembered the days were the worst thing possible was telling a lie or breaking something. Those days when he was so innocent, ignorant to the fact that Earth contained so much wickedness, that he himself was created to fulfill evil.  
Shadow turned his eyes to Maria, she looked so happy and delicate, like a flower before the winter frost came and killed it.  
Shaking his head, he flipped through the photo album, reflecting on the hopes and dreams of the past, his promise that he would cure Maria, and that together they would live on Earth, enjoying it, just the two of them. Shadow and Maria. Just two kids stupid enough to have such high hopes.  
With a sad sigh, he replaced the book and flopped back onto his bed. A small tear threatened to fall, but he wiped it away before it had the chance. He hated crying, feeling so helpless and vulnerable. _What if I could have Maria back_? He wondered silently. _What would happen? Would she be happy with what I've become?_

_No. Not at all_, he figured. She would be shocked that her cute, innocent, and "kitten like" friend turned to a dark, moody, monster who ran solely on hate and rage.

_It's better like this_, he decided. _She's dead, and she doesn't have to see what I have become, and I won't have to live seeing how much she hates me._  
He sighed. "Happy birthday," he grumbled aloud. "Stupid anniversary of creation day nonsense."  
Curling up into a tight ball, Shadow closed his eyes and finally slept. And he dreamed, and for once it was not one of those try to save Maria and fail once again dreams. It was something worse.  
He dreamed Maria did come back, and was so shocked and disgusted of what he had become. "What's happened to you?" She asked, shaking her head.  
He tried to explain, "Maria I-"  
"What excuse could you possibly have for trying to destroy the city? Someone pushed you into a puddle?" Her eyes grew hard and unfriendly. "How could you, Shadow? I thought you were my friend. You promised me you'd help people! But you've turned into a monster."  
"No I haven't!" He protested, shaken to the very core of his soul. "Maria, please understand."  
"What is there to understand?" She questioned. "You lied to me!"  
Shadow's jaw dropped. "No I-"  
"Save the excuses for someone who cares, because I don't. You disgust me and I hate you!"  
"Maria, please don't say that," he pleaded in a shaky voice.  
But she had already stormed off, leaving him alone.  
Shaking himself awake, Shadow opened his moist eyes, trembling a bit. There was no way he'd be able to cope if she had ever said those things to him.  
"Yeah," he sighed. "Having her back would be a bad idea. It's a good thing wishes don't come true in the first place."

It was two in the morning. Knuckles sat in his room, surrounded by a sea of books. One was on the ancient echidna tribes, one was on the Master Emerald and Angel island, and one was one astronomy.  
He rubbed his eyes in exhaustion. So far, it seemed that the echidna tribes had believed that once every one hundred years, the Master Emerald granted a wish. It had to be at a specific time though, when the sun hit it from a certain angle. According to astronomy, he figured the sun hit Angel Island perfectly on August 15 at 3 p.m. That was the same time Shadow was blowing out the candles on the cake!  
The story still didn't make much sence, but what he could figure is that the girl must have something to do with Shadow's wish. But what a wish would have to do with a young blond hedgehog, Knuckles had no idea.  
He had to find Sonic first thing in the morning.


	4. Sonic Joins the Investigation

**Chapter 4: Sonic joins the Investigation**

The Blue Blur was off for his morning run. It was a two for one deal. He got to get the exercise he never got enough of, and he also got to patrol the area for Eggman or some other jerk.  
Sonic loved his job as a hero. Nothing was better than helping people, kicking butt, being loved by everyone.  
He just couldn't understand the type of people who thought destruction was the best way to win. If he knocked down enough buildings, killed enough people, conquered enough politicians, the world would be his. What he didn't understand was that those people would serve out of fear, not love and trust. Sonic kinda pitied those who thought that way.  
Then there was the kind of guys who did help others, but were still untrusted, merely because of his background. That was Shadow completely. But then again, Shadow didn't do it for the fame, honor, and glory. Good thing too, because he never got it from anyone outside the Sonic Team.  
Sonic had once asked him why he did do what he did. "It just doesn't make sence," he had said. "What is your motive?"  
"What does it matter if you don't understand?" Shadow had replied in his naturally grumpy manner.  
Sonic had waited a few seconds, not sure if he would get an answer.  
"I made a promise," Shadow had said in a quiet, far away tone in which he had never spoken to his rival before. "And I've had to learn to get over my personal feelings to keep it. That's the only reason why I fight beside you, Faker."  
Sonic didn't know what the promise was, or who he had made it to, but he decided against pressing. Shadow didn't seem to like being questioned.  
"Hey Sonic!" The hedgehog stopped, certain he had heard Knuckles' voice. He was right. The red echidna waved from across the street a yellow hedgehog with him. _Strange_, Sonic thought. _Knucklehead hates the city. And with a girl? No way!_  
Looking both ways, he jogged across the street to join the awkward looking echidna and curious hedgehog. "Hey Knucklehead!" He said cheerfully. "Fancy seeing you here! And who do we have here?" He questioned, turning to the female hedgehog.  
She was pretty, with long quills and the biggest brightest blue eyes he had ever seen. The girl giggled in sweet, embarrassed manner, her muzzle showed faint tints of pink.  
"Name's Sonic," he told her in his cocky, smooth voice. "Sonic the hedgehog."  
Knuckles interrupted by clearing his throat. "What?" The blue hedgehog asked nonchalantly, turning to the other male. "Jealous or something?"  
The echidna smacked his forehead. "I need you to get serious." Pulling Sonic closer he whispered, "this is confusing I know. But do not ask her any personal questions. No name, past, birthday, anything. And above all, do not mention Shadow. I'll explain to you later, but I don't want her here when I do."  
Sonic didn't quite understand, but he trusted Knuckles knew what he was talking about. "Ok," he nodded.  
Turning to the girl, he said, "so Goldilocks. It must be tiring hanging out with guys all day. I've got a friend named Amy who lives not too far away if you wanna meet her."  
The girl nodded. "Sure, I'd like that. Thank you, Sonic."  
"No problem!" The Blue Blur shrugged. Knuckles gave him an are-you-crazy look. "It will be fine," he mouthed to the echidna. "C'mon! She lives right over here!" Sonic said enthusiastically.  
Taking up the position of leader, he walked a few blocks down to the pink hedgehog's apartment. Although he had told Knuckles everything was fine, he himself was starting to break into a cold sweat. Amy always made him nervous, and not because he liked her, but because she was in love with him. Every time she saw him, she would tackle him, trying to force him into dating her, or even worse asking him to marry her. Sonic was not the kind of guy who was willing to slow down, and from all the stories he had heard, a woman in his life would only take his freedom. And knowing how Amy clutched his arm now, just thinking about what she'd do if they were together gave him shivers. He didn't want that if he was paid! Not being able to run around, saving the world was the worst kind of torture invented. Truth was: Sonic the hedgehog was afraid of being in a relationship. It was his biggest fear aside from water. He'd leave the relationships to the guys willing to get themselves killed.  
The trio was now at Amy's front door, Sonic worried out of his mind, Knuckles wondering what he got himself into, and the girl in blissful ignorance.  
"Here goes everything," Sonic murmured.  
"Why?" Asked the girl. "Is something wrong with her?"  
Sonic managed a weak smile. "Not at all! If you think a girl only twelve years old trying to force me into marrying her if normal, well then she's as normal as you could get!"  
Taking a deep breath, he reached over to knock on the door, but it opened before he could touch it, revealing Amy herself. "SONIC!" She shrieked loud enough to break windows and leaped toward her blue hero, completely ignoring the others. She grabbed Sonic by the waist and squeezed him until his face turned bluer, the eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets, and he felt as if his ribs were about to collapse. "I just knew you would come to see me today!" Amy continued, not noticing that his face was now purple.  
Opening her green eyes, she finally realized she wasn't the only girl there. "Hey! Who are you?" She demanded a little rudely. Clutching Sonic closer to her she said, "Just so you know, I'm Sonic's girlfriend, so you better-!"  
"Amy calm down," Knuckles interrupted. "She just met him."  
"And I definitely would not want to take your boyfriend!" The girl who was so far nicknamed Blondie by Knuckles and Goldilocks by Sonic raised her hands in promise.  
Amy's eyes narrowed suspiciously, but a choking sound coming from her arms distracted her, as she turned her eyes to the Blue One, who looked more dead than alive. "Oh my gosh! Sonic!"  
In shock, Amy dropped Sonic, who fell to the ground, shaking and taking as big breaths as his lungs would allow. "Whew! Whew!" He panted tiredly.  
"Oh my word! I am so so sorry!" Amy cried. "Do you need some water? Knuckles, maybe could you carry him inside? I'm sorry Sonic!"  
Shaking his head, Knuckles obeyed the frantic Amy's orders, scooping up the weakened Speed Demon and bringing him into the apartment. Amy and the girl followed behind, Sonic's self proclaimed girlfriend crying as if he actually was dead.  
Knuckles laid poor Sonic on the couch. The Blue Blur gasped a few more times, but his face was starting to go back to its original color. "N-n-need water," he murmured.  
"Hey, Blondie, could you grab him a glass?" Knuckles asked. "The kitchen is right around the corner."  
"Sure," she nodded, glad she could help in a small way. She made her way to the kitchen and a few minutes later returned with a glass full of life giving water and a picture.  
Amy took the glass and helped lift it to Sonic's lips. The girl showed the picture to Knuckles, "who are all these people?" She asked. "I recognize you, Sonic, and Amy, but not anyone else."  
Knuckles looked at the photo, smiling a bit at the memory. It was of the whole Sonic Heroes at the end of their latest adventure. Sonic was being hugged by Amy, but he tried to make the best of it, giving the camera a weak nervous grin and thumbs up. Amy had been in a total bliss, content to have her arms around her hero. Tails was on Sonic's other side, staring at the couple in an odd, what-do-I-do manner. Cream was on Amy's other side, holding her pet Chou, Cheese, and smiling in her cute childish way. Big the cat was close by, giving the camera a blank, expressionless stare. Knuckles was next to Tails, with Rouge next to him, making the peace sign. Knuckles was glaring at her in suspicion, a light pink highlighting his face. The Chaotix were next to Team Rose, Vector the crocodile was trying to look cool in his big gold chain necklace and huge DJ headphones, Espio the chameleon was giving the camera a polite glance, and Charmy Bee, who was hovering right above his teammates' heads, was smiling the biggest, cheesiest smile possible and holding a double thumbs up. Next to them was Silver and Blaze the cat. Blaze had a pleasant smile on her face and Silver appeared to be laughing about something. On the other side of Rouge was E-123 Omega and next to him, Shadow, his arms crossed protectively across his chest, and his blood red eyes sending daggers at the camera, threatening anyone who might be looking at it.  
Whoa wait! Shadow! Knuckles thought in a panic. He grabbed the picture, frame and all, out of the girl's hands in a desperate attempt to keep her from noticing the Ultimate Lifeform scowling in the corner.  
"What?" The girl asked, confused on why he snatched it away like that.  
"Uh, Blondie," Knuckles stammered. "This photo is really, uh, special to Amy and she really hates anyone looking at it." He placed the picture back on the shelf in the kitchen and sighed.  
"Oh, sorry," she said quickly. "I didn't know that."  
"No problem," Knuckles said.  
Sonic was finally starting to look normal again, and his breathing slowed into a calm, peaceful tempo. He sat up and shook his head.  
"Sonic, are you ok?" Amy asked with concern. The Fastest Thing Alive nodded upbeatly. "I'm fine Amy!" He said, giving her a reassuring grin. "Just needed to catch my breath back there."  
"That was all my fault," Amy sighed. "If there's anything I could do to make it up to you, just tell me!"  
"Well," Sonic said thoughtfully. "I can think of something."  
The pink hedgehog's bright green eyes widened. "Really? What?"  
Sonic smiled. "Would you mind hanging out with our little friend here? Knux and I have something to do and I'm sure she wouldn't wanna be dragged around by a couple guys all day. We won't be long and she's not a bother at all. She's really nice, actually."  
Amy nodded. "Of course!"  
"Alright," in a low tone he added the instruction Knuckles had given him; nothing personal and no Shadow.  
She nodded, not understanding, but trusting Sonic's wisdom in the situation.  
"Thanks Amy," he said, jumping off the couch. "Goldilocks," he said, addressing the girl. "Knuckles and I have a few things to do. You wouldn't mind hanging with Amy for a bit, would you?"  
"No," she answered with a smile. "I'd quite enjoy it actually."  
"Awesome!" Amy cheered.  
Sonic grinned. "Good deal! Thanks again Amy! C'mon Knuckles!" Sonic gave both girls a quick hug, before the two guys headed for the door. "We'll be back in a super sonic second," the Blue Blur said before they left.  
After putting a little distance between themselves and the girls, Sonic asked, "Alright, what's going on?" Knuckles quickly explained everything, starting with that strange feeling he got at the party, and ending with Blondie's sleep talking and his assumptions on it.  
Sonic listened, nearly as confused as Knuckles. "So the only explanation is that she was the result of the Shadster's wish?" Sonic mused.  
"I don't get it either, but it's all I've got," Knuckles shrugged.  
The blue hedgehog shook his head, than snapped his fingers. "I've got it!"  
"Got what?" Knuckles asked eagerly. "The problem is confusing, but the solution is simple!" Sonic smiled. "Just introduce her to Shads! Maybe, just maybe, it will click in her brain and she'll remember!"  
"But what if she doesn't?" Knuckles asked.  
"Well maybe Shadow will recognize her," Sonic shrugged. "And then at least we'll know who she is. And for a quick backup plan," he added mysteriously. "I've gotta talk to Tails real quick."

Lusay: And there you have it! Woohoo! I hope you guys have been enjoying this story, I'm working on making my writing more detailed and all. Anywho! Review guys! Peace out!


	5. Shady Characters

**Lusay: hey guys! Thank you so much for all the support you've given me! I love all you guys! Leave a review please!**

Chapter 5: Shady Characters

Our dear friend, lost and confused as she was, tried her best to make the most of her situation. So far she was answering to Blondie, Goldilocks, and now New Girl, by Amy. She was tired of being called by things she knew were not her name, but what could she do? Not being able to remember her real name let her at the mercy of whatever everyone else had to call her in order to get her attention.

Some might ask what she thought about the dream she had the night before. She couldn't remember it, at least, not all of it. All she could remember was two glowing ruby red eyes, such an unusual color, bright and magnificent. She was sure she'd be able to recognize those eyes anywhere. And she had.

Although Knuckles tried to hide it before, she had noticed the red and black hedgehog in the corner. In fact, he was the first person she had noticed. He was the only one in the photo who seemed unhappy. Everything about his look and stature indicated that he absolutely hated what was going on.

She had observed him carefully, trying to figure out what it was that drew her eyes to him. That was when she noticed his eyes. Those same eyes from her dream.

Although she was ignorant, she was most definitely not stupid. She was sure he was the reason Knuckles had freaked out about the picture, there was nothing more suspicious than only one frown in a group of smiling happiness. She wanted to know more about him, who he was, why he was like that.

Amy was currently baking some cookies in the kitchen. "You're welcome to join me if you wanna," the pink hedgehog had told her.

The girl wandered into the kitchen, her blue eyes rested on the picture on the shelf, and more specifically, the black hedgehog with those stunning red eyes. She glanced at it for a second, took a deep breath, and lightly removed it once more, running her fingers across the frame.

"Hey Amy?" She asked suddenly, turning to the hedgehog who was mixing something in a large bowl, flour caked all over her apron and smudged across her left check.

"Yeah?" Amy asked, lifting her eyes to meet her new friend.

"Who is this?" She asked, pointing directly to the one she wanted named, so that Amy knew who she was talking about.

Amy glanced toward the direction of the photo and gasped, noticing who was being pointed out. Her face turned sheet white as she dropped her spoon and with a shaky hand, took the picture away. "That's nobody," she said nervously, setting it back onto its self; face down.

The girl raised her eyebrow. This was the second time the photo had been removed from her grasp, and this time she was sure it was because of him.

Noticing her suspicion, Amy stuttered, "Why don't you help me bake some cookies? They're for Sonic."

The girl sighed. All she really wanted was to know who that hedgehog was. She couldn't explain it, but somehow she felt connected to him, even though she had no idea who he was.  
Shaking her head, she decided to help Amy with the cookies, but she seemed to be working mechanically, rough sharp movements, and jigged stirring motions, splattering the batter all over the kitchen.

"Ahhh!" Amy screamed as some landed in her quills. The girl didn't seem to notice. "Um, New Girl?" Amy asked. "I think I can handle it from here. Why don't you go hang out in the living room for a few minutes? I'll be right there in a second."

Nodding mutely, the girl dragged her feet to the living room and plopped down on the couch, rubbing her arms as if she was cold. She suddenly felt as if she had goosebups.

A few minutes later someone knocked at the door. Amy gasped from the kitchen. "That's probably Sonic," she said. "But I can't let him see me like this! New Girl, could you answer the door please?"

"Sure," the girl said numbly, standing up. She walked over to the door and opened it to see Knuckles, but no Sonic.

"Hey Blondie," Knuckles said. "We're ready to take off now."

"Where's Sonic?" Amy asked, poking her head out of the kitchen.

Knuckles looked up nervously. "He, uh, had some things to do. He's a busy guy you know. He wanted me to tell you he was super sorry he couldn't make it."

"Oh," Amy said disappointed. "Well tell him to come back later! My cookies will be done for him."

"Sure," he nodded. "C'mon Blondie. Later Amy."

"Bye Amy," the girl echoed while leaving.

"Bye!" Amy called.

Once outside with Amy's door shut behind them, Knuckles said, "Ok. Sonic is gonna meet up with us in a little bit. He wanted us to grab a bite to eat."

Even though she hadn't eaten anything outside some fruit that morning, she wasn't really hungry. Her curiosity and suspicion were eating her alive. "Knuckles?" She asked as the two walked. "Can I ask you something?"

Knuckles' amethyst eyes shifted nervously, but he nodded. "Sure. What is it?"

"There was something about that picture you didn't want me to see, right? Or should I say, someone."  
Knuckles halted right where he was, his face white as if he had just seen a ghost.

"It was the black hedgehog in the corner right?" She pressed. "The one with the red eyes. Who is he? And why is everyone hiding him from me?"

"Uh..." He stammered. "Oh look! Here's a good place to eat!" It was really only Taco Bell, but he didn't care. He desperately needed a subject change. Unfortunately, it only deepened her suspicion. "What do you want?" He asked as they entered the building.

The girl shrugged. "Whatever. I'm vegetarian though."

"Really?" Knuckles asked. "So am I! Well actually I'm more of a fruititarian. Sonic likes to make fun of it."

The girl finally decided to give up her questions, for now at least. They ordered, took their food and sat down.

The meal was spent in an almost awkward silence until a flash of blue was seen outside the window. The door opened and in walked Sonic as if he owned the place. How he knew where to go, none of them knew.

"Hey Goldilocks!" He said in his hearty way. "Knucklehead, what are you eating?"

Knuckles rolled his eyes. "Tacos. With beans instead of that disgusting meat stuff."

Sonic made a face. "How can you live like that?" He questioned.

"Healthily," Knuckles answered a matter of factly. "It's a whole lot better than what you eat. I'm sure you don't even know what's in half the stuff you put into your mouth!"

"What you don't know won't hurt you," Sonic shrugged. "Anywho! Are you guys done? We've got someplace to go."

Knuckles nodded. "I'm done. What about you, Blondie?" He asked, noticing she had hardly touched her food.

"I'm good," she said quickly, standing up to throw her trash away.

About an hour later, the trio was taking a hike up a large hill, which was more like a mountain. Sonic in the lead, as usual was still fresh and crisp, even jogging a bit when he needed to stretch out his legs, with were not accustomed to so much walking. They were used to running faster than a speeding bullet everywhere with no slow downs. He made the best of it though, humming to himself. The girl was next in line, tired and worn out, not sure what the point in all of it was. And last but not least was Knuckles, who was in pretty good shape, only a slight sign of exhaustion on is countenance.

"Almost to the top," Sonic said, turning around to lend his hand to the girl. "Just a few more minutes." She nodded and took his hand, wiping her brow with the other hand. This hike though had successfully removed her thoughts from the mysterious black hedgehog. She was too worn out to think about anything.

At last, they reached the top. Sonic glanced over as if to be looking for something, then smiled. "Well look who's here," he murmured.

The girl traced her gaze to the direction he was looking, and gasped


	6. Déjà Vu

**Lusay: Hi guys! I have another chapter for you all! Enjoy and review!**

**Chapter 6: Déjà Vu**

Her eyes widened as she stared at him. She couldn't believe her eyes. The hedgehog had heard the three coming and swept his amazing red eyes over them, resting at her, noticing she was new. As hard as she tried, she couldn't tear her eyes away from his. Those eyes seemed to freeze her on the spot. She stared into them, fascinated not only by their magnificent color, but the emotion behind them. It was hard to notice, but they seemed saddened, as if something terrible had happened and he couldn't get over it. He looked almost traumatized, yet she could hardly tell.

Sonic cleared his throat, breaking the trance she had lost herself in. "This is Shadow," he told her.

"Hi," she said, giving him a smile and a small wave.

Shadow merely nodded in response.

She brushed a quill back self consciously and said, "I'd give you my name, but I can't remember it. I lost my memory just yesterday. It was a good thing Knuckles found me, or who knows what would've happened." Somehow it was easy for her to tell him that huge embarrassing fact about her, which was strange.

"You...lost your memory?" Shadow repeated in a soft, quite manner.

She sucked in a deep breath. His voice was deep, deeper than Knuckles' but not nearly as rough sounding. Shadow had a smooth, soft spoken sound to him, which gave her chills just listening to it.

Since she was incapable of speaking at this point, Sonic nodded, nudging the darker hedgehog. "Just like you."

Her mouth dropped open. "You lost your memory too?" She asked in disbelief.  
Shadow nodded mutely.

_Finally! Someone who understands_ She thought happily. "Did you ever get it back?" She asked. At his nod, she asked, "how?"

"After a lot of work and confusion," he responded. "Hopefully, you won't have to go through nearly half of what I did." Turning to the guys he inquired, "and what are you doing here?"

Sonic grinned, not missing a beat. "We were just passing though, taking a walk," he said.

"Humph!" Shadow grunted. "You should be going then. It's getting late. Knuckles, you should get back to Angel Island."

The echidna nodded. "Yeah. I think I should get going before that bat comes for the Master Emerald. Sonic, do you think you could take care of her?"

The Blue Blur nodded. "Leave it to me!"

"See you guys later," Knuckles said. "Bye Blondie."

"Bye Knuckles," she said as he left.

Sonic looked into the sky. "Guess we should get a move on too. It was nice seeing you again, Shads. We should get together more often. Race tomarrow maybe?"  
"I'll see," Shadow nodded.

"Kay, sounds good." He nodded back. "We need to leave, Goldilocks."

"Alright," she said almost sadly. "Bye, Shadow."

"It was nice meeting you," he said with a close to obvious struggle to be so polite, tipping his head.

Sonic reached over and picked her up bridal style. "We're gonna get back a whole lot faster this time around," he said. "Hold on tight!" And with that, they were gone.

Shadow followed the blue streak with his eyes and sighed thoughtfully. Removing his bright green Chaos Emerald, he said, "Chaos, Control."

A second later, he was inside his house. He numbly walked into the bathroom and turned on the faucet. Cupping some of the ice cold water in his hands, he splashed it on his hot almost feverish face. His head was hurting bad too. _Curse these stupid headaches_, he groaned silently, holding his head in his hands. He massaged his temples gently, trying to get rid of the pain. He got headaches a lot since he fell to Earth after the whole biolizard thing.

_Why does that girl have to look so much like Maria? _He though, rubbing harder. _She's a hedgehog, I know, but that voice. Those eyes..._

€}

The alarm buzzed mercilessly as the lights on the ARK flashed off and on. Gunshots and blood curling screams filled the space colony, people were being killed left and right.

Shadow was running down a corridor, Maria at his heels. Behind them was a group of five G.U.N. soldiers, weapons loaded.

The hedgehog checked behind him to make sure the girl was alright, his red eyes meeting her blue ones in concern. She was panting heavily, trying to keep her strength. That stupid N.I.D.S. disease never failed to ruin things.  
He gazed at the soldiers, their guns, and then Maria. He reached behind him and took hold of her thin white hand. "We're gonna be alright," he told her reassuringly.

His plan was simple; get her to safety so he could teach those trespassers a thing or two. Who did they think they were? This was their home, they had never hurt anybody. It was just a band of scientists, a brilliant man known as Professor Gerald Robotnik, his weak, harmless granddaughter, Maria, and Shadow, who had never hurt anyone in his life. He was very capable of it though, the Professor had told him that. In fact, he could've killed all the inhabitants of the ARK himself if he had wanted to. He didn't though. He had never even thought about killing until that day. These soldiers were taking everyone he loved. It made his blood boil, his teeth clench, his eyes set grimly before him, his motions jagged and rough.

"Shadow..." Maria whispered. "Don't."

The words, simple as they were, halted his evil thoughts in their tracks. Out of loyalty and devotion to her, he'd hold off on the killing.

Gripping her hand tighter, he almost dragged her along. He had never been in this part of the ARK and he had no idea where he was going.

"Right! Turn right!" Maria urged.

He obeyed, pulling the both of them into the room, wasting no time to lock the door behind them. They appeared to be in an escape pod room.

Shadow's eyes widened. "Maria?" He gasped, turning toward her. "What are we doing in here?"

The girl looked at him firmly. "You," she said. "Are going to escape in that pod. I'm going to release it."

"But you can't leave here!" He gasped, unaware of the banging going on outside.  
"But you can, Shadow," she said. "They're after you anyhow."

"So you expect me to abandon you?!" Shadow shouted. "No! Never!" He shook his head. "I'm not leaving anywhere without you. Even if I have to die here, then so be it!"

Maria smiled, touched by his loyalty. "But Shadow," she said. "This is what has to be done." She gave him a quick, but tight hug before she shoved him into the open pod, sealing the door behind him.

He immediately turned around, placing both hands on the glass. "Maria no! Let me out of here!" He shouted, banging his fists against it.

Maria paid him no mind, as she set the coordinates for Earth.

Just then, the door was kicked down. Maria gasped, looking over to Shadow.

A gun went off.

€}

Shadow kept his eyes closed tightly, his jaw set.

He could still see her bloody figure as she fell to the floor.

He could still hear her last words to him.

He could still feel the loss he felt that day, as if it had just happened.

It wasn't just a bad dream, it was reality. Maria was dead and he knew it. Why this? Why did he need this hedgehog girl who reminded him of his lost best friend in every way?

It annoyed him.


End file.
